


Missing Moments from Season 7

by meesha1971



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Comfort, Dreams and Nightmares, Falling In Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-10 01:15:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11116809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meesha1971/pseuds/meesha1971
Summary: A series of speculative one-shots about events that happened off screen between Daryl and Jesus during season 7.





	1. Change of Plans Pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesus and Daryl escape the sanctuary and make their way to Hilltop. Missing moment from season 7, episode 8.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just my idea on what might have happened after Daryl and Jesus left the sanctuary together. Big thanks to beejohnlocked for beta reading this for me.

Jesus never intended to actually go into Negan’s compound and he wouldn’t have if Carl hadn’t pulled that stunt on the truck. _Show me_ , he chuckled a bit to himself. The kid was good, he had to admit. But he had known even when Sasha asked him to find the place that he needed to be careful and he’d been afraid that, if he saw Daryl, he wouldn’t be able to resist trying to get him out of there. But Carl had left him no choice. Rick would have killed him if anything happened to Carl. 

So he’d found a way to get in. It had been surprisingly easy – Negan’s security had a lot of weak spots. He’d made mental notes of the perimeter, the courtyard, guard posts… Sasha would want to know everything he could remember. But now it seemed like he had wasted a lot of time. Negan had decided to take Carl back to Alexandria. And Daryl … well, Daryl hadn’t needed his help either. 

He lifted his head and let the wind roll over his face, as the motorcycle roared down the road. He wasn’t sure why he had even agreed to attempt this. He didn’t want Sasha doing something that could get her killed and keeping it from Maggie didn’t sit well with him. But he had figured locating the compound and checking the perimeter would be safe enough. And maybe he could talk Sasha out of whatever she was planning if Negan’s security was tight. At least he could try to convince her not to try it alone. 

He laughed at himself. Who was he kidding? He knew exactly why he was here – even if he didn’t fully understand it. When Sasha had told him that Negan had taken Daryl, the lick of fear and panic had taken him by surprise. They barely knew each other and hadn’t talked more than a few times. He wasn’t sure if Daryl was straight or gay or even if Daryl liked him. But the idea of Daryl being tortured by Negan had tormented him. He hadn’t allowed himself to consider the possibility that Daryl might be dead. Negan wouldn’t have taken him just to kill him. He had repeated that to himself over and over. 

And he hadn’t. The relief of finding Daryl alive was still palpable. He firmed his grip and counted heartbeats to remind himself that it was okay as the memories played through his mind. Seeing Daryl in that filthy sweat suit – barefoot, surrounded by walkers – looking lost and broken. Jesus had just wanted to snatch him up and hold him close. Get him away from those terrible people. Hearing Daryl threaten Negan – and the relief that he wasn’t completely broken. Daryl’s eyes meeting his briefly with shock and maybe some hope in them before Dwight dragged him away to lock him up.

So he had stayed. Left Negan to keep his word about taking Carl home and hopped off that truck because Daryl needed him. Daryl hadn’t left him the day they had met and he couldn’t leave Daryl now. But Daryl had somehow gotten out on his own. He’d watched Daryl kill the savior who was supposed to be guarding that gate. For a moment, he’d thought he might be wrong and Daryl had snapped. He’d called out to him and had been relieved to see the recognition in Daryl’s eyes as he’d come back to himself. Daryl had taken the savior’s gun and Jesus had taken his walkie talkie. It could come in handy to be able to listen in. Then Daryl had grabbed one of the motorcycles and said he had the key.

So here they were. Flying down the road trying to put as much distance between them and the saviors as possible. Jesus had pointed out the trail he had left and Daryl followed it, but neither had said anything else. Jesus just held on tight – glad the motorcycle gave him an excuse to do so. The warmth radiating between them as he pressed close, being able to feel those taut muscles under his hands, and the rhythm of Daryl’s heartbeat was a comfort to him. He still couldn’t explain it even now. 

He knew part of it was just physical attraction – and who could blame him for that? Daryl was impressive to look at. Broad shoulders, bulging biceps – he had to force himself not to run his hands all over that hard, muscular body. _Not now_. Ok, the hair was a mess, but hair could be changed and it didn’t prevent him from being able to see the intensity in those gorgeous blue eyes or wonder what it would be like to nibble those soft lips … And that line of thought wasn’t getting him anywhere. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Daryl needed a friend right now. He was an adult – he could control himself. He splayed his hands over Daryl’s chest and let the rise and fall of his breathing soothe him.

But his thoughts returned to the first time he had seen Daryl. Angry and defensive. Claiming he would have left Jesus in a tree. But Jesus had only been feigning unconsciousness in the car so he had heard everything Rick and Daryl said. Somehow, he knew that Rick was right. Daryl wouldn’t have left him out there because he was a good man. He wasn’t sure why he was so certain of that, but there was something there … He hadn’t felt such an instant connection like that to anyone before. And he was pretty sure that Rick had been deliberately swerving to knock him into Daryl. He hadn’t been able to resist laying his head on Daryl’s shoulder and just breathing him in – and he couldn’t resist doing that now – a sort of woodsy scent underneath the sweat and dirt that was uniquely Daryl. Yeah, there was something there even if he wasn’t sure what it was. He hoped they would have the chance to find out now. When the time was right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daryl stopped the motorcycle on the side of the road and tried to relax. He wasn’t sure how far they had gone. He wasn’t sure if the saviors had discovered his escape and were coming after him. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if Jesus hadn’t been there to snap him out of that red haze of fury that had overcome him when he had seen Fat Joey walk around that corner. He felt the warmth of Jesus behind him, somehow comforted by his presence. It was weird because he wasn’t even sure if he liked the guy, but he’d been there and he’d helped so Daryl couldn’t feel anything but grateful to him.

“Daryl?” Jesus sounded confused. And a little out of breath. 

“Need a minute,” Daryl said as he got off the motorcycle and walked around to stretch his legs. 

“Take all the time you need. We can hide the bike in those trees and rest for a bit.”

Daryl nodded and they moved the bike. It made him think of hiding his bike when he went after Dwight after Denise was killed so he made a quick job of it because he didn’t want to think about that. He paced around, restless from the emotions churning inside him. He was free, but he couldn’t go home. And he wasn’t sure they would want him back. Rick did. He’d asked Negan to let him stay and Daryl couldn’t describe how that made him feel. But he didn’t know about the others. 

Jesus watched Daryl pacing in circles, concerned at how jumpy he seemed. He started to ask if he was okay, but Daryl turned those intense eyes on him and he couldn’t seem to speak. 

“Thanks,” Daryl said quietly.

“You’re welcome,” Jesus said, relieved his voice sounded normal. “But I didn’t do anything.”

“You didn’t leave the note?”

“What note?”

“Somebody pushed a note under the door … with the key. Figured it was you,” Daryl said, confused.

“It wasn’t me,” Jesus shook his head. “I never went inside the building. I was going to – after I saw you in the courtyard – but you were already out when I got to the door. I guess there’s someone else there who doesn’t like Negan.”

“Maybe,” Daryl said, shrugging. “Thanks anyway. They might’ve caught me if you hadn’t …” 

“They didn’t,” Jesus said firmly. “And they won’t.”

“They send you to find Carl?” 

“No,” Jesus said, shaking his head. “Sasha asked me to follow the saviors to try and find Negan’s compound so I hid on one of their trucks when they came to collect at Hilltop. Carl was already hiding on it.” At Daryl’s confused look, Jesus explained how Carl had tricked him. 

“He’s lucky he didn’t get himself killed,” Daryl growled.

“He’s a smart kid. And he’s home by now.”

“I can’t go back to Alexandria,” Daryl said abruptly, turning back to look at Jesus. “That’s the first place them bastards’ll look for me. Negan might still be there.”

“We can go to Hilltop,” Jesus said. “You can get some rest and a decent meal. We can send someone to let Rick know where you are.”

Daryl nodded. It was a good plan. But he still felt restless. Walking in circles wasn’t helping. He sat on a fallen log and put his head in his hands. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jesus asked, gently. “It had to be horrible.”

“I’ve had worse,” Daryl said, shrugging. “Dog food and no sleep ain’t gonna break me.”

“They fed you dog food?” Jesus was horrified.

Daryl just shrugged again. He’d eaten worse things to survive. He looked at Jesus, sympathy swimming in his eyes and looked away. 

“It’s worse knowin’ they’re gone,” he said quietly. 

Jesus just listened.

“Abraham, Glenn, Maggie …” He trailed off, feeling the tears starting. 

“Maggie?” Jesus sounded confused.

“Saw her grave when they took me to Alexandria,” Daryl said quietly. “Don’t know what happened. She looked sick when …”

Jesus smiled. He could at least give some comfort. He moved closer to Daryl and laid a hand on his shoulder. “The graves at Alexandria are empty, Daryl. Maggie’s fine.”

“Empty?” Daryl just stared at Jesus. “But Abraham and Glenn …”

“Sasha buried them at Hilltop,” Jesus said. “She brought Maggie there that morning because they were afraid she was losing the baby. The baby’s fine too,” he added quickly. “Dr. Carson checked her out and they’re both okay now. She just needed to rest for a few days.”

Daryl got up and started pacing again, relief pouring through him. 

“Enid’s at Hilltop too. She must have come with Carl,“ Jesus continued. “She told us that Father Gabriel made a fake grave for Maggie because Negan was asking about her.”

“He ain’t gettin’ Maggie!” Daryl growled. 

“No, he isn’t,” Jesus agreed. “The saviors don’t know Maggie and Sasha are at Hilltop. And they think Maggie’s dead.”

“We gotta kill ‘em. All of ‘em,” 

“Rick doesn’t want –”

“Rick’ll figure it out. We always do,” Daryl said, looking up at the sky. “We should get headed. Don’t wanna be out here after dark.”

They retrieved the motorcycle, but before getting on, Daryl turned to look at Jesus.

“Listen, when we get to Hilltop … I don’t wanna see anybody right now.”

“They’ll want to see you,” Jesus said.

“Tomorrow’s soon enough,” Daryl said. “I just need to …” He trailed off, looking at the ground.

“I understand,” Jesus rested his hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of it.”

They got back on the motorcycle and Jesus wrapped his arms around Daryl, enjoying the warmth and the feel of Daryl’s heart beating under his hands again. He was glad that Daryl had felt comfortable enough with him to talk – even just a little bit. He wished he could take away all the pain, but he believed Daryl would heal and now he knew little more about the man behind those gorgeous blue eyes. He smiled against Daryl’s back as the motorcycle roared down the road towards Hilltop. Yes, he knew exactly why he was here. And it wasn’t confusing at all.  
 


	2. Change of Plans Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Jesus arrive at Hilltop, but Daryl isn't ready to face his friends yet. Missing moment from season 7, episode 8.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thoughts on what might have happened when Daryl spent the night at Hilltop after escaping the sanctuary with Jesus. Big thanks to beejohnlocked for beta reading this for me.

It was Daryl’s bad luck that Maggie was keeping watch at the gate when they arrived at Hilltop. Daryl knew the instant Maggie recognized him – or the motorcycle since they were still some distance away. He heard her yelling for Sasha and Enid and just shook his head. 

“Should’ve known.”

“I told you I’d take care of it,” Jesus reassured him. 

True to his word, Jesus got off the motorcycle as soon as they got close to the gate so he could intercept Maggie. Daryl tensed as Maggie started to head in his direction anyway, but Jesus held her hand, talking earnestly. Sasha nodded – apparently backing Jesus up. Finally, Maggie threw her arms around Jesus and, with a last look at Daryl, she walked towards one of the trailers with Sasha and Enid. 

Jesus sighed in relief and waved Daryl through the gate. For a minute, he had worried that they might have to physically restrain Maggie. She was so happy to see Daryl and just wanted to make sure he was okay. Jesus felt a familiar pang of envy. He had never had anyone care about him as deeply as that. Maybe that’s why he had been drawn to Rick’s group. He had never been around a group of people who so clearly defined what family should be. Pushing that thought aside, he turned to Daryl and smiled as he rode up. 

“See? Taken care of, as promised.”

“Thanks,” Daryl looked towards the trailer Maggie had entered. “She mad?”

“Worried,” Jesus corrected. “Um, I had to promise her that I would take you straight to Dr. Carson so he could examine you.”

Daryl sighed and nodded. He didn’t want Maggie to worry. She needed to take care of herself. He parked the motorcycle where Jesus showed him and followed him to the medical trailer. 

“I’ll find Dr. Carson,” Jesus said once Daryl was settled. “Shouldn’t be too long.”

Daryl just nodded and leaned back in the chair. He must have dozed off because it didn’t seem like any time had passed when Jesus returned with a couple of covered plates and a bundle of clothes. Daryl stared at them groggily. 

“Dr. Carson’s on his way,” Jesus said as he set everything down. “He said you can sleep in here tonight if you want and there’s a bathroom over there if you want to clean up. I found some clothes that should fit. I figured you’d want to change at least. Maggie sent some food if you want to eat first.” 

Daryl looked down at the blood-spattered clothes he had stolen from Dwight’s apartment and nodded again. As hungry as he was, he wanted to get rid of those clothes and clean up first. He didn’t want any reminders of that place. He took the clothes Jesus brought him into the bathroom and shut the door. 

Jesus busied himself setting up a place for them to eat. He didn’t want to leave – and he had promised Maggie to let her know what Dr. Carson said. He thought that was a clever way to avoid arguments from either side. When he heard the bathroom door open, he turned and nearly swallowed his tongue as Daryl walked out wearing the pants, but carrying the shirt. Little beads of water were dripping down his chest from his damp hair. Jesus had to fight the urge to go over and lap them up. 

“You okay?” Daryl asked, draping the shirt on but not buttoning it. He expected Dr. Carson would just make him take it off again anyway.

“Um, yeah,” Jesus managed and tore his gaze away from Daryl’s chest to stare at the plate of food. His brain didn’t seem to want to function and he couldn’t get the image of Daryl’s naked chest out of his head. He glanced over at Daryl again, trying to keep his gaze eye level, and noticed the wound on his shoulder. His eyes widened as he finally managed to look Daryl in the eye.

“Bandage came off in the shower,” Daryl said, shrugging as he sat down to eat. “It’s fine. I’ve had worse.”

Jesus didn’t know what to say to that, but was saved by Dr. Carson coming in. He sat in the corner and tried to be unobtrusive as Dr. Carson examined Daryl and put a fresh bandage on the gunshot wound. The brief glimpse of old scars crisscrossing Daryl’s back wasn’t as surprising as it should have been. Daryl hadn’t said much, but Jesus thought he was starting to understand what Daryl meant when he said he’d had worse. A dull fury rode low in his gut and it was a struggle to bank it down. Daryl didn’t need his anger over something that had obviously happened years ago. Especially not now. 

When Dr. Carson left them, Daryl put the shirt back on and buttoned it. There weren’t many who had seen the scars and he waited for Jesus to ask, but he didn’t. Instead, Jesus told him about Maggie adjusting to living at Hilltop. It felt strange to smile after everything that had happened, but the image of Maggie punching Gregory was a good one to remember. Exhaustion crept up on him as he finished the meal Dr. Carson had interrupted. 

“You need to sleep,” Jesus said after seeing yet another yawn. 

Daryl didn’t argue. He was too exhausted. And it was quiet and peaceful even with Jesus talking to him and tugging off his boots. Somehow, his voice was reassuring. He barely noticed that Jesus was tucking him into bed, didn’t register the fingers stroking through his hair as anything but soothing, and was out like a light before the feather light press of lips against his. 

“I know you’re too tired to remember any of this,” Jesus said softly, still stroking Daryl’s hair lightly. “You would have already punched me if you weren’t. But I think you needed it and I know I did. Sleep well.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Daryl woke up feeling more like himself. And starving. There were already a couple of plates of food waiting for him with a note from Maggie containing just a single word.

_Eat._

Daryl felt tears prickling again. _Why wasn’t she mad_? He’d thought she would yell or punch him like she had Gregory. He knew he deserved it. But she was sending him food and demanding he get an exam because she was worried. Just being Maggie like nothing had changed between them. A light creaking sound distracted him and he looked over to see Jesus stretched out in a chair. He had a vague flash of something soft and comforting, but couldn’t remember much of anything after eating last night. But he knew Jesus had been there for him and had gone out of his way to help him. A true friend and loyal to Maggie. And apparently to him. He could respect that and he was grateful. He sat down to eat, feeling that everything was going to be alright for the first time in days.

Jesus woke gradually, feeling slightly disoriented and stiff. It took him a minute to remember where he was and why. He had stretched out next to Daryl for a little while the night before, but had moved to the chair before falling asleep. He wasn’t sure how Daryl would react to finding another man cuddled up against him in the morning. He was determined not to ruin the friendship they were building because he couldn’t control his libido. At some point, he would have to deal with that. But not today. 

“Mornin’ sunshine,” Daryl grunted through a mouthful of eggs, pointing at the other plate. “Maggie sent breakfast.”

Jesus grinned. Daryl seemed to be feeling much better. His eyes were still sad and haunted, but he looked rested and more relaxed. He sat down to eat, hoping he could convince Daryl to go see Maggie. 

“Need to burn those,” Daryl said, pointing to the pile of bloodstained clothes by the bathroom. “All of it.”

“We can do that after we eat,” Jesus said. “Or right now,” he amended as Daryl got up and gathered the clothes into a ball. 

“Wanna get it done,” Daryl grunted. Seeing the clothes laying there had reminded him of where they came from and he didn’t need to be reminded. 

Jesus found a barrel and they tossed everything in, poured in a bit of gas, and lit it up. They stood and watched as the flames ate through the material and reduced it to ash. Daryl felt a little bit of the weight pressing on him lift. He turned back to Jesus and nodded.

“Let’s eat. I’m starvin'.”

Jesus couldn’t help but admire the view as they walked back to the trailer to finish their breakfast. But he knew that his time alone with Daryl was coming to an end. There were things that needed to be done. And Maggie would kill him if she didn’t get a chance to at least see Daryl for herself. He was surprised she hadn’t started banging on the door of the medical trailer yet.

“We should see about sending someone to Alexandria to let Rick know you’re here,” he said as he spread preserves on a biscuit. 

Daryl nodded as he shoveled in more food and licked his fingers. Jesus struggled to focus on his own food and not drool into his plate. Who knew bad table manners could be so seductive? Maybe he was just weird. Then Daryl licked a dollop of preserves off the back of his hand and he decided admiring Daryl’s skill with his tongue wasn’t weird at all. But he’d probably do better to just focus on his plate and not … _Oh my God_ … NOT Daryl swirling his tongue around that sticky spot on his hand to get the last of the preserves. His ears had started ringing so it took him a minute to register that Daryl had started speaking again.

“… burn ‘em to the ground,” Daryl paused and looked towards the door. “You hear that?”

“Hear what?” Jesus took deep breaths to calm himself while Daryl looked out the window. 

“It’s Maggie,” he said, glancing back at Jesus. “She’s on the watch stand.”

“I’ll check it out,” Jesus said, already heading out the door. 

“We’ll go,” Daryl said, grabbing Rick’s gun. No way he was taking chances with Maggie’s safety.

“She doesn’t sound scared,” Jesus said, slowing down to listen as Maggie shouted for Kal to open the gate. “She sounds excited.”

Jesus peered around the corner and grinned as he turned back to Daryl. “Looks like we won’t need that messenger after all. Rick and the others are here.”

Daryl slowed down and Jesus could feel the nerves pumping off of him. He started to tense up himself even though he was sure everyone would be happy to see Daryl. They walked around the corner to see Rick talking to Maggie. Then he looked up and saw Daryl. Jesus felt that pang of envy again as Rick rushed towards Daryl and the two of them hugged. Brothers, Daryl had mumbled as he was falling asleep the night before. And when Rick looked at Jesus with tears in his eyes and nodded in gratitude, he could see that, even realizing these people were family, he hadn’t really understood how strong that bond was.

He watched as the others gathered around Daryl, hugging him, and he realized that Daryl had needed this as much as he had needed the night before to rest. This was the root of Daryl’s strength and hope. And he wanted so very much to be part of that. They didn’t even need words, he thought as they all looked at each other and nodded. They just know. 

Then Maggie looked at him and smiled and he realized, he knew as well. Daryl had been right. Rick had figured it out and they were going to fight. He wasn’t excluded from this because Maggie was drawing him in just as Daryl had. So, when Rick turned and nodded to everyone, he fell into step beside Daryl and joined them in the walk to Barrington House to tell Gregory they were going to war. And, however this meeting with Gregory turned out, he decided, it was time for Rick to meet King Ezekiel.


	3. The Kingdom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl's feeling restless and edgy so he can't sleep. He runs into Jesus while taking a walk around the Kingdom. Missing moment from season 7, episode 9.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thoughts on what might have happened when the group spent the night at the Kingdom. Big thanks to beejohnlocked for beta reading this for me.

Daryl didn’t quite know what to make of the Kingdom or it’s _King_. Guy was kind of weird with all the theater stuff, but the tiger was cool. He couldn’t help but think they were wasting their time here though. They should be out there trying to find weapons or something to blow up Negan’s compound instead of sitting around here waiting for the “King” to decide whether or not to join them.

The night breeze ruffled his hair slightly as he walked around, hoping to tire himself out so he could sleep. Everyone else had already gone to bed. Or he thought they had, he corrected himself as he spotted Jesus in the gazebo doing some kind of martial arts thing. Daryl watched him move through a series of punches and kicks, the movements slow and controlled. Then he kicked one leg up high and held it for a few seconds before kicking out rapidly and spinning around with a fast punch. He had to admit that Jesus had some impressive moves. He waited until Jesus finished with a high spinning kick before speaking.

“That stuff really work?”

Jesus turned with a start. He hadn’t heard Daryl walk up and wondered how long he’d been there. He’d been hoping to burn off some of this tension before going to bed, but it looked like that plan was out the window.

“Well enough,” he said, smiling. “Can’t sleep?”

“Can’t settle,” Daryl said with a shrug. He walked around the gazebo before climbing the steps. “Need something to do.”

Jesus thought of a lot of things they could do to burn off all this restless energy, but he was sure that wasn’t what Daryl meant.

“I could teach you,” he said, gesturing vaguely towards the center of the gazebo. “We could start with some basic Tai Chi.”

“Nah, don’t think I’d be good at it.”

“Offer’s open, if you change your mind,” Jesus said. “What do you normally do to relax?”

“Hunt mostly,” Daryl said, looking around. “Work on my bike sometimes. Read.”

“What kind of books do you like?”

“Never really thought about it,” Daryl said, shrugging. “Me and Merle would read whatever we could find and keep hidden from the old man.”

“I don’t think hunting is an option right now and you didn’t bring your bike,” Jesus said, “but we could probably find some books.”

“We oughta just go,” Daryl said abruptly. “This was a waste of time. _King_ Ezekiel ain’t gonna help us.”

“We don’t know that,” Jesus began. “He just wanted time to – “

“We need to get movin’,” Daryl growled as he strode around the small space. “I need to do somethin’. Can’t just sit around doin’ nothin’ while the saviors are taking all our stuff and killin’ more of us! If we can’t get people here to help, we oughta be out lookin’ somewhere else.”

Jesus was silent as Daryl continued to rant and prowl around him in fury. He was like a caged wolf, ready to pounce as soon as the door opened. But he didn’t know what to say or do to help him calm down. Maybe it was best to just let him get it all out, he thought as Daryl whirled on him.

“You know the guy. Why bring us here when he don’t wanna fight?”

“I hoped finding out about another community under the saviors control would change his mind,” Jesus said calmly. “And, if he refuses, I hope we can find a way to change his mind.”

“That why you didn’t say nothin’ about this place before?”

“I didn’t know there were so many saviors before,” Jesus said, “and Sasha said that Rick didn’t want to fight the saviors after …”

“What else you keepin’ from us?”

“Nothing,” Jesus said, hurt that Daryl would accuse him that way. After yesterday, he’d thought they were at least on the way to becoming friends.

“I ain’t got no way of knowin’ that, do I? Daryl shouted and pulled his arm back to punch Jesus and froze.

What the hell was he doing? Jesus hadn’t done anything but try to help. Deflated, he sagged down on the steps and dropped his head in his hands.

“I’m sorry,” he said through his fingers. “Don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You’ve been through hell,” Jesus said quietly, relieved that Daryl seemed to be calming down. “I’m sorry if anything I’ve done added to that.

“Nah,” Daryl sighed. “I was just bein’ an asshole. I’m good at that.”

“You’ve got a right to be angry about what they’ve done … maybe you just needed to let some it out.” Jesus knelt next to Daryl and put a hand on his shoulder. “Do you feel better?”

“No … yeah, a little,” Daryl corrected. “But I hate doin’ that.”

“You should try a real punching bag,” Jesus said with a smile, deliberately keeping his tone light. “I’ve got one at Hilltop. You can borrow it. We’ll draw Negan’s face on it and you can beat the shit out of him. We’ll take turns.”

Daryl snorted, and nudged Jesus away with his elbow. “Maybe.”

Satisfied that the crisis had passed, Jesus nudged back. “It’s a good idea.”

“Yeah, it is,” Daryl said, looking at Jesus and seeing his blue eyes twinkling with humor. Again, he had a flash of something soft and warm, soothing … he wasn’t sure why it suddenly made him feel awkward. “I – uh – should get back.”

“Okay,” Jesus said, disappointed, but unable to think of a reason for Daryl to stay longer or to go with him beyond the entrance to his room. They walked back and parted ways at Jesus’ door.

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Daryl said, glancing back at Jesus as he headed to his own room.

Jesus fell back on his bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering why it was always so hard for him to just say what he felt. _Don’t go. Stay. I need you. I want you._ The words flittered in and out of his mind, but none of it sounded exactly right to him. And the timing couldn’t be worse. He rolled over and pressed his face into the pillow, groaning in frustration. Daryl was already dealing the trauma of being Negan’s prisoner and still grieving the deaths of his friends. Fighting the saviors was his entire focus right now. How was he supposed to tell a man who was dealing with all of that and might be straight on top of everything else that he thought he might be falling in love with him?

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daryl crawled into bed and stared at the wall. He no longer felt that restless energy burning inside him, but now he felt guilty for taking it out on Jesus. He was surprised Jesus hadn’t planted one of those flying kicks to his face. But he’d just been understanding and kind. His friends were killing him with kindness, he thought as he rolled onto his back. That was probably why he’d felt so awkward. He kept expecting anger and blame, but they just kept being nice to him. As he drifted towards sleep, he thought about Jesus offering to teach him Tai Chi and how smooth and controlled he’d looked practicing those punches and kicks. Pretty badass, he thought as he slipped under.

He floated in and out of dreams of soft blue eyes, lighter than his own, twinkling with laughter ... gentle hands stroking his hair and his face … the tickle of hair as it brushed over his skin … warm lips and soft kisses giving way to heat and urgency …

The fire of a bullet punching through his shoulder. The crunch of a bat, over and over. Negan’s laughter drowning out the screams. Blood, so much blood …

Daryl jerked awake, choking back the scream and ripping at the covers tangled around him. Sweaty and trembling, he found a bottle of water and drank until the nausea faded. He dug out the pack of cigarettes he had stolen from Negan’s compound and lit one, drawing the smoke deep into his lungs and exhaling. He vaguely thought of waking up Jesus, but pushed that thought away, unsure of why he’d thought of it to begin with. He’d beaten back nightmares on his own before. He could do it again.

Finishing the cigarette, he looked towards the window to see the sun coming up. No point in trying to go back to sleep now. He got dressed and went to meet the others and find out what King Ezekiel had decided.


	4. Hilltop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl goes to Jesus to find out where Sasha and Rosita went. Missing moment from season 7, episode 14.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thoughts on what might have happened during Daryl's last night at Hilltop, before rejoining Rick and the others to go to Oceanside. Big thanks to beejohnlocked for beta reading this for me.

Jesus was fuming as he left Gregory’s office.  That cowardly snake had actually threatened him.  It was past time for something to be done.  He needed to find Maggie – she was basically leading Hilltop already.  He hadn’t wanted to push, but he thought that maybe he could convince her …  He stopped short as he saw Daryl come in the door.  Seeing the look on Daryl’s face, his anger quickly evaporated and was replaced with concern.

 “Everything okay?”

 “Where's Sasha and Rosita?” Daryl asked.

 Jesus sighed.  He’d hoped to get a chance to talk to Daryl and Maggie before they realized Sasha and Rosita were missing.  But Gregory had “summoned” him to the office before he could say anything. 

 “We can’t talk here,” he said quietly, glancing back at the door to Gregory’s office.  They couldn’t trust him at all now so he wasn’t taking any chances.  “Come on.”

 He left Barrington house and started walking towards his trailer with Daryl following.  He wasn’t looking forward to telling Daryl and Maggie that Sasha and Rosita had gone after Negan, but he took it as a good sign than Daryl had noticed they were gone.  Daryl had been quiet and withdrawn since he’d arrived back at Hilltop.  He’d spent most of his time at the picnic table, making bolts for his new crossbow, and avoiding Maggie as much as possible.  He wouldn’t look her in the eye and he hadn’t spoken to her at all.  He would wait until Maggie was asleep each night before coming in and flopping next to Jesus on the floor.  Jesus didn’t know how to help.  During training sessions, Maggie had assured him that Daryl was a champion brooder and would eventually come around, but he could tell that she was worried as well.  He hoped that Maggie was right and this meant Daryl was coming around. 

 “Where's Sasha and Rosita?” Daryl asked again as they entered the trailer.

 “They went after Negan,” Jesus said, sitting down and sighing.

 “And you just let ‘em go?”

 “Of course not,” Jesus said.  “Enid and I both tried to talk Sasha out of it.  She wouldn’t listen and she said Rosita was going with or without her.  Enid was going to tell Maggie before they left, but then the saviors showed up.”  Jesus sighed again.  “I guess they slipped out during the confusion.  Probably used the tunnel Sasha dug for Maggie in case we needed a quick way out.”

 “They’re both stubborn,” Daryl muttered.  He wondered why they hadn’t asked him.  He’d give anything for a shot at Negan.  Then he thought of what Maggie had said to him in the cellar earlier and knew why Sasha didn’t ask and why he couldn’t have gone.  Maggie needed him.

 “They have guns, at least,” Jesus said.  At Daryl’s look, he continued, “Sasha told me she had a gun, but she didn’t say where it came from.  I guess Rosita brought it with her.”

 “That’s somethin’ at least,” Daryl said.  “Sasha’s a good shot.  Why couldn’t you tell me back there?” He gestured towards Barrington house.

 “Gregory,” Jesus said, looking worried.  “I don’t think we can trust him.  He threatened me.”

 “Son of a bitch!”  The hot lick of fury he felt was surprising, but Daryl didn’t question it.  He got up and strode towards the door. 

 “No,” Jesus said quickly, rushing after Daryl and grabbing his arm.  “Daryl, wait.  It wasn’t like that.” 

 “What did he do?” Daryl growled.

 The fact that Daryl was so angry on his behalf sent Jesus’ heart fluttering.  He looked like a magnificent warrior – _so fierce_.  He could just gobble him up.  But as much as he would love to set Daryl loose on Gregory – or set loose on Gregory himself for that matter – that wasn’t the right way to deal with this problem.

 “Gregory’s too much of a coward to attack anyone directly,” Jesus said, pulling Daryl back towards the sofa.  “He just implied that he would give information to the saviors.  And he’d probably do it.  He knows the people here would prefer Maggie to be in charge.”

 “If anything happens to Maggie ‘cause of him, I’ll kill him,” Daryl growled.

 “Get in line,” Jesus said.  “I’d kick his ass myself right now, but I don’t think that would solve the problem.”

 “It’d feel good,” Daryl grunted and made Jesus laugh.

 “Yeah, it would.”

 They slumped back on the sofa companionably.  Jesus still feeling a bit fluttery that Daryl had come to his defense like that.  He knew Daryl well enough now to understand that he would leap to the defense of anyone he considered a friend, but it was still flattering to be included in that.  And it was sexy as hell. 

 “Gotta do somethin’ about that prick,” Daryl went on.

 “We will,” Jesus said.  He hesitated for a second, but then asked, “Is everything okay with you and Maggie?”

 “We talked,” Daryl said and then fell silent for a moment.  He still couldn’t really believe it.  “I thought she’d be mad at me,” he said finally.  “She should be mad at me.”

 “She loves you,” Jesus said simply. 

 Daryl nodded, feeling tears prickling again.  “I don’t deserve it.”

 “You do,” Jesus agree, repeating when Daryl shook his head.  “You _do_.  You’d give your life to protect her and she knows it.  You’d do that for any of them because you love them.  You’re the most loving and loyal friend anyone could have.”

 “I fucked up,” Daryl said, staring at the floor.

 “Nobody’s perfect,” Jesus said.  “We all fuck up.  But it’s not how you fall down that matters.  It’s how you get back up.”

 “Yeah, guess you’re right.  It’s just hard.”  Daryl didn’t know what else to say.  He was so tired.  They sat in silence for a while, but it was comfortable.  Nice.  He felt himself starting to drift and tried to shake himself awake.

 “It’s okay,” Jesus said, taking a chance and lightly stroking Daryl’s shoulder.  “Go ahead and sleep.  I’ll be here.  Maggie and Enid will be coming in soon.  It’s been a long day for all of us.”

 Daryl stretched out on the floor and Jesus watched him slide into sleep, his body relaxing in stages.  Even in sleep, he wasn’t entirely at rest.  It seemed like he was ready to wake up and pounce at the slightest disturbance.  He stretched out next to him and started to drift off himself, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of Daryl’s chest as he breathed.  “You are a complicated and fascinating man, Daryl Dixon,” he said quietly as he dozed off. 

 He was jerked awake when Daryl started to twist and flailed out his arm, moaning and mumbling incoherently. 

 “Daryl?”  He gently shook him, but Daryl continued to twist and moan.  “Come on, Daryl.  Wake up.  It’s just a bad dream.”

 Daryl reared up, staring blindly around him.  Jesus started stroking his arms, keeping his voice soothing.  “It’s okay, Daryl.  It’s just a dream.  It’s okay.  I’m here.  Everything’s fine.  You’re safe.”

 He kept murmuring and stroking Daryl’s arms until he slumped back on the floor, rubbing his face.  He looked over at Jesus and then closed his eyes.

 “Shit.”

 “Are you okay?” Jesus asked. 

 “Yeah,” Daryl waved him off and sat up, rubbing his hands through his hair.  “Damn.”

 “Do you want to talk about it?”

 Nightmares had plagued him every night since that first one at the Kingdom.  Sometimes he was back in that clearing in the woods, watching his friends get killed.  Knowing it was his fault.  Sometimes he was wandering around Negan’s compound, naked and filthy, looking for a way out and then getting locked in a room with pictures of Glenn’s dead body surrounding him. 

 “I was back there,” Daryl said, scrubbing his hands over his face again and digging out a cigarette.  He lit it and took a deep drag.  “Don’t remember all of it.  Just bein’ back there.” 

 “Well, I’m here if you ever want to talk about it.”  Jesus felt helpless and wished he could do more than offer Daryl a makeshift ashtray.

 “You were there too,” Daryl said quietly.

 “You got yourself out,” Jesus shrugged.  “I didn’t do anything.”

 “No,” Daryl said, shaking his head.  “You did.  Just bein’ there.  ‘Cause I thought it was you.”

 “You thought … oh, the note,” Jesus remembered.

 “They tricked me before,” Daryl said.  “That one I killed … he set me up.  Left the door unlocked and I fell for it.  Tried to run.  They were waiting for me.”

 Daryl took another deep drag and shook his head.  “Stupid.”

 “You wanted out,” said Jesus.  “That’s not stupid.  You were willing to take the risk to get free.”

 “Yeah, well it didn’t work that time,” Daryl said.  “Then I saw you on that truck.  I knew you were there so I thought it was you that left the note.  I wouldn’t’ve gone if I hadn’t seen you ‘cause it could’ve been another trap.  I’d still be in that hellhole.”  He took another drag, exhaled.  “So … thanks for bein’ there.”

 “Well, then … you’re welcome,” said Jesus, glad to know that he had helped even if it was a small thing that had just given Daryl enough hope to try.  “I was going to try to bust you out of there though.”

 “Yeah,” Daryl smiled.  “You told me.  Would’ve liked to see that.  You’ve got some moves.”

 Jesus was saved from trying to come up with a response by Maggie and Enid coming in.

 “Maggie,” he started, but she interrupted him.

 “Enid told me,” she said.  “It’s okay.  I know Sasha and Rosita.  You couldn’t have stopped them from going once they made their minds up.  Well, maybe you two could have wrestled them down while I hog tied ‘em, but they would have found a way to go eventually.”

 She smiled as she knelt next to Daryl and put her arm around him.  “Have you eaten?”

 “Yeah,” he said, smiling back at her.  “I’m good.  What about you?  You’re eatin’ for two now.”

 “Two football teams,” said Enid, laughing and dodging as Maggie reached over to smack her.  “You don’t have to worry about Maggie eating, Daryl.  She eats everything that isn’t nailed down.”

 Jesus smiled as they continued to tease each other while preparing for bed.  It was nice to see Daryl and Maggie at ease with each other.  He stretched out on the floor again, feeling Daryl’s warm body next to his and wishing as they all drifted off to sleep.  It was torture knowing that’s all it could be right now.  That maybe that’s all it could ever be.  But it was something and, when Daryl rolled over in his sleep and slung his arm around Jesus, he couldn’t help but snuggle in closer and hope that maybe someday it could be more.


	5. Alexandria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night before their battle with the saviors, the group meets at Rick's house to discuss Dwight's information. Jesus sees a different side of Daryl. Missing moment from season 7, episode 16.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter. What I think might have happened after Dwight left ASZ that night. I hope everyone has enjoyed these missing moments. I had a lot of fun writing them. Big thanks to beejohnlocked for beta reading this for me.

As Jesus sat at the dining table in Rick’s house, he couldn’t help but remember the first time he sat in this chair.  Everyone so suspicious and Daryl looking sexy and dangerous, glaring at him.  At least no one was pointing guns at him this time.  Daryl was pacing around the room, the encounter with Dwight had shaken him.  Jesus understood there was a history there, but he didn’t know the full story.  He just hoped this Dwight was true to his word.  His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a baby fussing over the monitor on the counter.  Rick started to get up, but Daryl waved his hand.

“I’ll get her,” he said, heading towards the stairs. 

They sat in silence a bit longer.  Rick seemed to be gathering his thoughts.  Daryl’s voice flowed out over the monitor, surprising Jesus with its gentle tone.

“There you are,” he said.  “Come ‘ere, L’il Asskicker.”  There were smooching sounds and sweet giggles that brought a grin to Jesus’ face. 

“That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about,” Rick said to Jesus, glancing over at the monitor.

“Daryl playing peek-a-boo with Judith?” Carl asked, grinning as Judith’s giggles filled the room.

“No,” said Rick, flicking Carl’s hat and chuckling as they heard Daryl gag and curse.

“Christ! What the hell’s Rick been feedin’ you?”

The laughter broke the tension in the room.  They were still grinning when Daryl came back down, toting Judith upside down, much to her delight.

“What?” he asked, looking around at them.

“Big, bad Daryl Dixon,” Rosita said, laughing again.  “Defeated by a poopy diaper.”

Daryl just glared at her and rolled Judith to his shoulders.  “It’s like toxic waste.  We should’ve saved ‘em up and launched ‘em at Negan’s sanctuary.”

“There’s a thought,” Carl said, scrunching up his face. 

“Well,” said Rick, sobering up.  “That’s what were here to talk about.  And I need to ask you a favor,” he said to Jesus.

“Name it,” said Jesus, unable to take his eyes off Daryl playing with the baby.  It was a whole new side of him, playful and happy.  Jesus’ heart did a slow roll in his chest.

“If Dwight’s telling the truth,” Rick said, “It’s going to get pretty rough here tomorrow.  Negan knows about Judith.  I want you and Enid to take her to Maggie, at Hilltop in the morning.  She’ll be safer there.”

“Of course,” Jesus said, stilling smiling at Daryl and the baby.  “Maggie will be happy to see her.  I can come back, after.  Help in the fight.”

“No.  Stay with Maggie and let her know what’s going on,” Rick continued.  “I want all of you to stay at Hilltop.  The saviors don’t know we have an alliance so, if anything goes wrong, we’ll have that as backup.”

Jesus frowned at that.  He had intended to stay and help.  But Rick was right.  The longer they could keep the saviors in the dark about the alliance between Hilltop and Alexandria, the better.  He looked back over at Daryl playing with the baby, and sighed.  He didn’t have to like it though.  When he turned back, Rick was giving him a strange look.

“You okay with this?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Jesus said.  “I’m not sure if Maggie will agree.  She’s been training everyone to fight.”

“They’ll get their chance,” said Rick.  “This won’t be finished in a day.”  He nodded at Carl.

“I’ll put Judith back to bed,” he said.  He grabbed the monitor and stuck it in his pocket with a grin at Daryl and then took Judith upstairs.

With the evening’s entertainment completed, they turned back to the information Dwight had given them and started making plans for war.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesus sat on a rock, looking out over the pond.  It was peaceful, soothing.  Alexandria was a beautiful community.  He heard the click of a lighter and looked over to see Daryl heading towards him. 

“You all set for the night?” he asked, sitting next to Jesus on the rock.

“Michonne showed me which room I could use,” said Jesus, nodding.  “I’d planned to stay and help, but …”

“It’s good you’re takin’ her to Maggie,” Daryl said, exhaling smoke.  “Eases Rick’s mind.”

_Yours too_ , Jesus thought, but he only said, “I’m happy to do it.  She’s a beautiful little girl.”

“Yeah,” Daryl’s face softened.  “She’s a pistol.”

“I can’t imagine what it must have been like before you found Alexandria,” Jesus said.  Maggie had told him how they traveled from Georgia to Virginia.  He hadn't thought about how difficult that must have been with a baby.  “She’s a miracle.  You’re very good with her,” he said, turning to look at Daryl.

“Surprised?” Daryl said, with a slight frown.

“No,” said Jesus, smiling.  “Your family is important to you.  She’s part of that.”

“Yeah, well …,” Daryl shrugged and took another drag from his cigarette.  He wasn’t sure why he felt embarrassed. 

Jesus looked back out over the pond, enjoying the quiet peace.  Everything he learned about Daryl, just made him more interesting.  He seemed so gruff and almost hostile on the surface, but the man had a heart of gold underneath. 

“It’s beautiful here,” he said. 

“Took some getting’ used to,” Daryl said, looking around.  “Never had nothin’ like this growin’ up.  But it’s home now.”

Daryl wasn’t really sure why he’d come out here.  He had intended to walk around, work off the lingering anger from seeing Dwight again.  Then he’d seen Jesus walk over to the pond and the next thing he knew, he was sitting here talking to him.  He was easy to talk to.  Or to just sit with, like they were doing now. He reminded Daryl of what this was all about.  Protecting his home.  His family.  If Dwight could help them do that, then he’d deal with it.  And he’d deal with Dwight after as well. 

“Things will change tomorrow,” Jesus said quietly. 

“Yeah,” Daryl said, flicking his cigarette into the pond. “One way or another.”

“You worried?”

“A lot could go wrong,” Daryl said, shrugging.  “Gotta be prepared for that.”

“And hope for the best.”

“Hope is all you can do sometimes.”

They walked back to the house.  Everyone had gone to bed so they quietly made their way upstairs and went to their separate rooms.  Jesus lay awake for a while longer.  He could hear Daryl in the next room, getting ready for bed and then the rustle of a sleeping bag.  He finally drifted off to sleep, hoping that everything would work out the next day.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daryl went to bed expecting to have another nightmare.  He just hoped he didn’t wake anyone up with it.  Instead, he fell into vague, unclear dreams that wrapped him in sensations.  Somehow, it all felt familiar – like he’d dreamed it all before.  Soft hair brushing against his skin.  Warm hands caressing him.  Soft lips pressed against his.  Easy, gentle, soothing.  Slowly sliding into warmth, the slick of a tongue across his flesh.  Trembling, his body still tingling, he snapped awake at the sound of Judith crying.  He listened as Rick went in to soothe his daughter and slid back into a dreamless sleep.

When he woke in the morning, he didn’t remember the dream at all.  His thoughts focused on the upcoming battle, he got dressed and headed out of his room.  Jesus was coming out of the bathroom – wearing nothing but a low-slung towel and a big smile.  Daryl froze, something niggling at the back of his mind, but then it was gone.

“We don’t have showers like that at Hilltop,” Jesus said, rubbing another towel over his hair.  “I couldn’t resist.”

“Uh huh,” Daryl just stared at him. 

“Are you all right?” Jesus asked, concerned.  “Another nightmare?”

“What?”  Daryl jerked himself back, and shook his head.  “Oh, no.  Slept fine.  First time since …”  He trailed off as a drop of water slid down Jesus' chest.

“Good,” Jesus said, smiling again.  “Shower’s free if you want.”

“No point today,” Daryl said, looking everywhere but at Jesus.  He wasn’t used to anyone standing around so casually in a towel.  Michonne had that huge robe.  Carl usually made a mad dash to his room to get dressed so he was just a blur.  Rick had the master bath in his room so he didn’t have to worry about it. 

“Okay,” Jesus said, still smiling.  “I’d better get dressed.”

“Yeah, do that,” said Daryl and he escaped downstairs.

Breakfast was a noisy affair.  Judith was babbling in her high chair and slamming her sippy cup on the tray as she smeared eggs over her face.  They talked about the upcoming battle, making final adjustments to their plans.  Wondering when the scavengers would arrive.  Daryl felt his system settle as he ate.  He was just worried about the battle, that’s all.  He’d be fine.

Rick cleaned Judith up and gave her bag to Jesus.   Everybody pretended not to look when Carl and Enid shared a good-bye kiss on the porch.  Daryl said goodbye to Jesus and Enid at the gate – remembering smooches for Judith because she insisted.  He watched them drive away, something niggling at the back of his mind again, but he couldn’t think of what it could be.  Then Rosita called out that the scavengers were coming in and he put it aside.  Whatever it was, he’d figure it out later.  He joined his family to prepare for the battle.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesus and Daryl talk after the battle at Alexandria. Missing moment from season 7, episode 16.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had intended to end this with chapter 5 since there weren't really any other missing moments between Jesus and Daryl to explore. But when I started working on my new story, the intro ended up being a possible missing moment from the end of the finale so I felt it fit better as an epilogue to this story instead. It's just a short epilogue, but I hope you enjoy. Big thanks to beejohnlocked for beta reading this for me.

Jesus found himself drawn to the same rock that he and Daryl had sat on the night before.  He had said then that things would change today and they had.  People had been killed.  Sasha had died.  He hadn’t been there when Negan had opened the coffin, revealing that she had become a walker, but he had seen her.  After.  It had taken him and Maggie hours to find her in the woods, but they had found her.  And he’d held her down while Maggie put down her best friend with tears in her eyes.

But they had won.  Jesus tried to hold on to that.  Maggie had led people from Hilltop to Alexandria and they had run into King Ezekiel and his regiment along the way.  They’d arrived at Alexandria just in time to save Carl and to turn the tide of the battle in their favor.  Negan and the saviors had been driven off.  Those scavengers that had betrayed Rick had run away.  They had won the battle and were officially at war now.  Victory speeches had been made and the alliance between Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Kingdom had been forged.  Sasha and the others who had died had been buried.

He looked around as the sun set.  Alexandria was still a beautiful community.  This was still a peaceful spot.  It didn’t look like a place where a battle had been fought only hours before.  It was homes and people – survivors who had become family.  He felt a sense of déjà vu when he heard the click of a lighter and turned to see Daryl striding towards him, exhaling cigarette smoke.

“Hey,” he said, joining Jesus on the rock.  He took another drag from his cigarette and didn’t say anything else.

Jesus smiled.  Daryl Dixon was a man of few words, but just sitting next to him in silence was comforting.  If anyone would understand, he knew that Daryl would.  “I was thinking about Sasha.”

“Yeah,” Daryl replied, exhaling smoke slowly.  “Rick figures she did it herself somehow – tryin’ to stop Negan from usin’ her against us.”

“Sounds like something she would do,” Jesus replied.

“She gave us a chance,” Daryl said, remembering how Carol had comforted him when Merle had died.  Only good thing Merle had ever done, but he had given them a chance.  Sasha had done a lot of good and her final act had created the diversion they needed to fight back.

“I know,” said Jesus, wiping at a stray tear.  “I just wonder … if we’d gone after them …”

“We might’ve been able to save her,” Daryl said, flicking ashes on the ground,  “or it might’ve been one of us instead.”  He’d sacrifice himself for his family – the same as Sasha had.  Was sure it would come down to that … someday.  But the thought of Jesus coming out of that coffin as a walker put a strange twist in his gut. 

“You’re right,” Jesus said, trying to smile.  “We should honor her sacrifice instead of second guessing it.”

Daryl pulled a couple of small bottles from his pocket and handed one to Jesus.  “Take what you can find,” he responded to Jesus’ questioning look.  They cracked them open.  “To Sasha,” he said and downed the bottle.

“To Sasha,” Jesus repeated, downing his own and feeling the warmth spread through his gut.

They sat in silence, much as they had the night before, and watched the sun finish setting.  Daryl finished his cigarette and flicked it towards the pond. 

“They’ll have dinner ready soon,” he said.  “If I don’t bring you back, Maggie’ll come lookin’.”

“Lead the way,” Jesus said, standing.

As they walked back to Rick’s house, Jesus spotted Carl talking animatedly to Tara.

“Kid won’t shut up about that tiger,” Daryl said. 

“It was a sight to see,” Jesus responded, smiling.  “The look on Negan’s face was priceless.”

Daryl snorted.  “Looked like he shit his pants.”

It felt good to laugh.  To celebrate life.  That’s what Sasha would have wanted them to do.  That’s what they were fighting for. 

 


End file.
